Live In Detroit - March 31st 1977 - Tangerine Dream

Advantages: Live TD music
Disadvantages: Only half a concert

...I bought this album about two years ago with some other TD albums. It’s been in my ‘wanted’ list for some time. Unfortunately, after listening to it, I was sadly disappointed. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t as good as I imagined it to be. I have recently listened to this after quite some time. In fact, I think this is only my third time of listening to it. It is supposedly the first release of the so-called "Tangerine Dream Classics Edition", released in 1999, featuring the first part of the Sydney concert. The rest of the concert (Soho Man 2 perhaps) has never, as yet, been released. A bootleg LP version called ‘Leprous Appearance On Wednesday’ appeared in 1984 and was re-released in CD format in 1993, featuring the same part of this concert. When listening to the bootleg, it’s obvious that Soho Man has been altered to obtain better... Read review

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Advantages: One of the best 'electronic' albums ever
Disadvantages: It is somewhat short

...five minutes have gentle subtle harmonies playing with bright synth sounds. I have heard this part used on nature programmes to accompany underwater scenes, which it does splendidly. Finally a lonely mellotron flute sound concludes the album on a sombre note. Overall the music on this album is quite remarkable especially if you consider the equipment available in 1975. Don't expect tunes or simple backing beats as this is more of a free flowing soundscape. It may be only 35 minutes in length, but it is possibly the best 35 minutes of Tangerine Dream's lengthy career and certainly one of the finest electronic albums of the 1970s. Although it is sometimes categorised as such, it is not really "new age" as there are dark eerie moments and not quite "ambient" as there are some lively driving near-rock moments. Highly recommended... Read review

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Advantages: excellent performances from Iggy Pop in concert
Disadvantages: bizarre song order and variable recording quality

...a wilder affair, - Punk had gripped Europe by now and Iggy's first European dates were greeted with messianic fervour. The tour ended up back in the states at the end of the year. TV Eye 1977 Live is a short document of those two tours, four tracks from each. The March dates are better recorded than the October tracks which are only of good bootleg standard - odd on an official release. But don't let that put you off. The four Bowie backed songs are excellent, from the opening roar of "TV Eye" - a rendition which equals the Fun House original - via a slightly ragged "Funtime" through an astonishingly good "Dirt", full of fire and anger, to the concluding "I Wanna Be Your Dog" which is superb apart from the affling decision to fade out just at the conclusion! The October 1977 tracks are not as impressive, partly due to the poorer quality... Read review

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